1991 Yil 31 Avgust

The Dissolution of the USSR

The Declaration of Independence

On August 24, 1991, the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) adopted a Declaration of State Sovereignty. This declaration declared that the RSFSR was a sovereign state within the USSR and that its laws had precedence over Soviet laws.

The declaration was a major step towards the dissolution of the USSR. It was followed by similar declarations by other Soviet republics, including Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan.

The August Coup

On August 19, 1991, a group of hard-line Communist Party officials launched a coup against Gorbachev. The coup leaders declared a state of emergency and arrested Gorbachev.

The coup failed within three days, thanks to the resistance of Boris Yeltsin, the president of the RSFSR, and other reformers. The failure of the coup further weakened the USSR and accelerated its collapse.

The Belovezh Accords

On December 8, 1991, the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus signed the Belovezh Accords. The accords declared that the USSR had ceased to exist and that the three republics were now independent states.

The Belovezh Accords were a major blow to the USSR. They were followed by the collapse of the Soviet Union on December 26, 1991.